Events
Celebration of the KIRF Maternal Health Programme
On Wednedsay 26th February, KIRF held a function at the House of Lords to celebrate the maternal health pilot scheme in Azad Kashmir. This meeting was a great success, due to the inspiring talks given by our patron, MPs, senior healthcare professionals and of course the returning KIRF volunteers.
The meeting began with a welcome from Lord Eric Avebury, who paid a warm tribute to the work of KIRF. He discussed the ‘huge need for humanitarian efforts’ in the world in general, and described the work of organisations such as KIRF as ‘passionately needed’. He also commended KIRF for being the ‘first to start the struggle to rebuild shattered lives’ in Kashmir after the earthquake in 2005, and for knowing ‘what was needed to return peoples’ lives to normality’. Lord Avebury also praised the efforts of the Diaspora volunteers, referring to the ‘immediate successes that have been achieved’ by the maternal health programme, and expressed the hope that this endeavour would continue to go from strength to strength.
Lord Avebury has been a patron of KIRF for almost twenty years, and has personally visited Kashmir four times. He looked back over the development of KIRF, thanking all affiliates as ‘hundreds of thousands of people have benefited from their endeavours’. We would like to extend our thanks to such a dedicated and enthusiastic patron, whose tireless work over the years has helped KIRF to help the people of Kashmir.
Fiona Mactaggart, the MP for Slough since 1997, was also called upon to say a few words. She expressed her admiration for the KIRF focus on maternal health, and emphasised that ‘unnecessary death in childbirth must be stopped, as simple as that’. She also garnered a warm audience reception with her observation that it was ‘great to have a meeting about Kashmir with so many women present’. She stressed the need for women in the UK to support women in the developing world, saying ‘if your voices are heard, these avoidable tragedies may be stopped’. We would like to thank Ms Mactaggart for her inspiring words, and her support of the KIRF Maternal Health programme.
Professor Andrew Shennan, the Director of Maternity Worldwide, also spoke of the importance of focussing on reducing the rates of maternal mortality. He described this as ‘an area in which we can really make a difference…as such little effort and such little input can make such a big difference’. Professor Shennan outlined some of the ongoing Maternity Worldwide initiatives; such as the lottery-funded programme in Ethiopia. He remarked on the ‘enthusiasm and passion’ of KIRF, and stated that he was ‘truly delighted’ to work in collaboration with us on future programmes. We are grateful to be able to work in conjunction with such a worthwhile organisation, and would like to thank Professor Shennan for his words.
The next speaker was Dr Siddiqui, head of the Pakistan Liasion Group for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Dr Siddiqui’s profoundly moving words focussed primarily on the preventable nature of maternal and infant mortality. She described a recent advance in progress with the passing of legislation in Pakistan to make maternal death a notifiable event. In this way she suggested that this new legislation could ‘give women a voice in death, if not in life, and prevent silent tragedies’. Dr Siddiqui emphasised the pervasiveness of the worldwide problem of maternal mortality by highlighting the fact that a woman dies in childbirth every single minute of every day, and expressed her admiration for organisations that tackle this issue. Furthermore Dr Siddiqui emphasised the similarities between RCOG and KIRF, as both currently run Diaspora programmes. We would like to express the wish that we can work closely together in the future, and thank Dr Siddiqui for her thought-provoking and emotive comments.
We were honoured to have another speaker from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; the Honorary Senior Vice President, Professor James Walker. He commended the ‘commitment and passion’ of KIRF, and described the efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates as ‘exemplar’. Professor Walker also raised some pertinent issues recognised by the KIRF; for example the importance of creating links between the hospital and the surrounding communities, as well as reiterating the vital significance of ensuring the sustainability of the programme. He discussed the importance of contraception in reducing maternal mortality, stating that ‘people forget that half of the people who die in childbirth in developing countries are on their fourth or more child’. He also raised the issue of the importance of public health in general, and the wider impacts of maternal mortality on the familial unit and the community at large. We would like to thank Professor Walker for his highly insightful comments which have raised important issues that must definitely be taken into future consideration.
We were privileged to have Professor Alan Fenwick OBE, Director of the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, give a well-received oration. He repeatedly expressed his ‘humble admiration’ of the KIRF initiatives in Kashmir, and thanked the other ‘erudite speakers’. He described the evening as a learning experience for himself, and mentioned his pleasure in ‘participating in similar programmes’. Professor Fenwick finished with the observation that it was ‘fantastic to have the older, middle and younger generations’ represented in the audience. We hope that the unity in purpose that KIRF propounds across generational divides may be extended to include all of the speakers and thee organisations represented at this prestigious meeting.
Finally, we would like to thank all of the volunteers who made this programme possible. Without their dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of KIRF, we would not be in a position to change the lives of so many people in Kashmir. Without their generosity and skill this programme would not have been such a success, and as such we are grateful for all that they have achieved.
KIRF Fund Raising Dinner for Hospital and Flood Victims a Great Success
Following the unprecedented level of destruction and damage caused by the flash floods in Kashmir and Pakistan, Kashmir International Relief Fund (KIRF) launched an immediate public appeal. The fundraising dinner was held at the prestigious Waltham Forest Assembly Hall in East London and was attended by people from different communities from all over London and the UK. The event featured inspiring speeches from founder of KIRF, Mr. Ishfaq Ahmed who has dedicated his life to helping the plight of the Kashmiri people. He detailed his passion for the ‘forgotten Kashmiris’ and conveyed the importance of donating to make a direct impact on the lives of those affected by numerous afflictions. Over 35,000 Kashmiri people have been affected in the Neelum Vally, over 1,400 homes destroyed and almost 300 shops and commercial property damaged. In Muzzaffarabad, the death toll is over 7000 with loss of land, animals and shops. Across the whole country, the flood is taking its toll on all walks of life.
The seriousness of the issues were met with the light humour of Jeff Mirza who chaired the evening wonderfully. The audience eager to know more about the activities of KIRF were met with the enthusiasm of Iftakhar Latif – the chief operations officer of KIRF who outlines the wide ranging activities of the organisation.
Attention was then turned back to the devastating floods and the appeal began with a charity auction. The first items to be auctioned were original paintings from Kashmir from the artist Syed Fahim Anjum Gardez. He himself is a long-time supporter of KIRF who lives in Bagh, Kashmir, his work generated thousands of pounds for the charity. Other items included an Umrah ticket and Jewellery sets from Kashmir.
A most wonderful feeling was the way the whole community congregated together to make the fundraiser an enjoyable and informative evening. Volunteers ranged from the youth from the Active Change Foundation through to experienced event organisers and the elders of the community all wanting to have their share in this excellent work. The evening was a great success, allowing the community to learn about KIRF and allowed the public to help with this noble work, raising over £20,000. After dinner, the evening drew to a successful end; however that signalled the start of further and new KIRF relief for the flood victims.
The same evening the dedicated team of KIRF began green lighting relief efforts for the floods. Immediate construction of bridges to cut off populated areas began in the Neelum Valley and Bagh areas. The importance and desperate need for this work is only growing. The flood waters are unearthing deeper rooted problems – in some areas the flood waters have dislodged rubble from the 2005 earthquake which is exposing unfound dead bodies from that previous catastrophe.
The need for your help is there. Please continue to donate.
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